Control mechanism for continuous pressing machines



CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS PRESSING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 8, 1930 INVENTOR ATTORNEY,

Feb. 7, 1933. G w JOHNSON 1,896,517

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS PRESSING MACHINES Filed Oct. 8, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 3 J0 L 45 l/ 1/ M INVENTOR GAD/P65 hfcfo/m/so/v ATTORNEYSPatented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

GEORGE w. JOHNSON, OIQCINOINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRYKAY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO CONTROLMECHANISM 1'03 CONTINUOUS PBESBING MACHINES Application filed October 8,1880. Serial No. 487,149.

My invention relates to laundry a paratus and, particularly to apressing an ironin gnachine of the continuous type together witautomatic operating means and automatic control mechanism whereby theoperators are relieved of any responsibility other than making theproper lays on the pressing beds. In the finishing of laundry articleswhere pressing is employed and continuous press- 0 mg machines includinga plurality of pressing heads e ually s aced apart in a path or circuittoget er wit a plurality of beds connected in a gang and movablerelative to the heads alternately to a position in registry with theheads and to an exposed position are used, there are a plurallty of laysof the garment upon the pressing beds or upon a single pressing bednecessary for a complete finishing of the article. In a construction ofthis type each operator must become proficient in making all of the laysfor each garment which not only renders it diflicult to break inoperators but prevents the speeding up of the operations to obtain themaximum output. Added to this, an operator has. in most instances. theresponsibility of causing operation of the apparatus to bring successivepressing beds into registry with the pressing heads and pressingengagement between the heads and beds.

The present invention is an improvement upon the invention illustrated.described and claimed in a prior application of Emil J. Carroll forcontinuous pressing machine, filed June 15, 1929, Serial No. 371,104, towhich reference may be had if desirable or necessary. The invention ofthe said Carroll application comprises a stationary frame carrying aplurality of stationary upper pressing members or heads. and acooperating rotatiug frame carrying a plurality of lower pressingmembers or beds. and in the specific arrangement shown, with one morethan twice as many beds as heads. together with means for rotating therotatable frame to move the beds successively into registration with theheads and for producing relative pressing or ironing motion between thebeds K, and heads when in registration.

My invention (OlltGlHlllEltOS the improvement of the machine of the saidCarroll a plication by the provision of an automa cally operatingmechanism together with antomatic control means as ap lied to a pressingmachine of this type wl erein a step by step movement of the beds andalso an automatic pressing or ironing operation is obtained when some ofthe beds are in regist with the pressing heads and are in a state ofrest. Therefore, the only responsibility of the operator or operatorsIifmtio perform the proper lays on the pressing Various objects andadvantageous features of my invention may be seen in the followingdescription and one embodiment thereof may be seen in the accompanyingdrawings wherein similar characters of reference designate correspondingparts, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a pressing machine to which automaticoperating and control mechanism is applied in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, with the pressingmachine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the drive for the bedsupport; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view with a control mechanism andwiring system; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the brake mechanism forstopping the operation of the pressing machine; Fig. 7 is a detail viewof the valve mechanism controlling the pressing operation; and Fig. 8 isa section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

In the drawings, I have shown a pressing machine of the continuous typeembodying a plurality of pressing heads and a plurality of pressing bedsand consisting of a central support 1 provided with an upstanding shaft2 having a ball bearing support 3 for a bed support hub 4 that is freelyrotatable upon the ball bearing structure 3 and support 1. This hub isprovided with a plurality of evenly spaced radially extending arms 5 andeach arm terminates at its free end in a pair of eyes 6 adapted toreceive a pin 7 upon which a plurality of radially extending bed arms 8are pivotally mounted. Each of the bed arms 8 has a bed support at itsouter end which carries a padded bed 9 and is further all of the be s iprovided with a depending roller bracket 10 with an antifriction roller11 therein that is adapted to ride upon a circular track 12 concentricwith the hub 4. By this arrangement the hub 4 and all of the bed membersmay be moved around in a circuit or path with the rollers 11 riding uponthe track 12 and supporting the beds 9 in their lower position and thepivotal mounting of the arms 8 permits the beds 9 to be raised toproduce the ressing and ironing operation as will be iiereinafterdescribed.

Spaced around the path of travel of beds as just described are aplurality of pressing head structures each of which com rises astationary frame or base 13 provider with a vertical standard 14 havinga head arm 15 that carries a head 16 extending inwardly from theuppermost end thereof so that the pressing head will be dis osed overthe path of travel of the pressing ds 9 in such position that a pressingbed may be brought into registry therewith. Each base 13 is providedwith a fluid cylinder and piston structure as shown in Fi s. 2 and 3,including a cylinder 17, piston 18 and plunger 19 formed by the pistonrod and ada ted to engage under the outermost end of t e bed arms 8 thatare above the piston and cylinder structure when the piston 18 is raisedin a manner hereinafter described. The, cylinders are connected with avalve casing member 20 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 by means of a pipe orconduit 21 that communicatesby way of a valve seat 22 with steam supply23 as shown in Fig. 8, which is regulated by a control valve 24 of theneedle type. A chamber'20 also communicates by way of a valve 30 andvalve seat 25 with an exhaust 26. A steam inlet valve 27 engages thevalve seat 22 and is provided with a valve stem 28 that is adapted to beactuated by any suitable motor means, the means here shown being asolenoid structure generally indicated by the numeral 29. Likewise, thevalve seat 25 is engaged by an exhaust valve 30 whose stem 31 isconnected to the operating means for the valve 27 by beinginterconnected with the valve stem 28 by a lever arm 32 that is pivotedto the frame as at 33, the arrangement being such that when one valve isclosed, the other is opened. There is a. valve mechanism for eachpressing head 16 and they are all connected to a suitable supply line 34and to a suitable exhaust line 35 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. i

At the proper time in the cycle of operation, as will appear. current issupplied to the solenoid 29 to operate the valves in such manner thatsteam will be supplied to all of the cylinders 17 below the pistons 18and those beds 9 which are in registry with the heads 16 are movedupwardly into pressing engagement with the head and the ironingoperation takes place. Likewise. at another point in the cycle, thecircuit to the solenoid is broken whereby the steam supply valve 27 willbe closed and the exhaust valve opened by the action of the spring 31'so that the piston 18 will be moved downwardly and the pressing beds inregistry with the pressing heads 16 will move to their lowermostposition by reason of their own weight.

In accordance with my invention intermittently operating mechanism isprovided for rotating the bed support and the several beds to bringsuccessive beds into registry with the pressing heads, and thismechanism includes a bevelled driving gears 36 that is rigidly securedto the hub 4 and meshes with the bevelled driving pinion 37 that isdriven by a worm wheel 38, which is, in turn, driven by a worm and shaft'39 operated by motor means, such, for instance, as the motor 40. Asshown in Fig. 6, the worm shaft is provided with a brake drum 41 adaptedto be engaged by a brake band 42 that is anchored as at 43 and isconnected at its opposed end to a pull rod 44. The pull rod is providedwith a collar 45 that is spring pressed to normally a ply the brake bythe spring 46 and the end 0 the pull-rod is engaged by an armature 47having an adjusting screw therein, the armature cooperating with anelectromagnet generally indicated at 48 and the arrangement being suchthat the brake is normally applied and released intermittently by themagnet when the motor is running to permit or to stop rotation of thebedasupport.

The controlling mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention isdiagrammatically shown in Fig. 5 and includes a speed regulator 49 forthe motor 40, a pilot motor 50, a speed regulator 51 therefor, a gearbox 52 having a shaft 53 extending outwardly therefrom and rotating :1commutator drum 54 provided with peripherally longitudinally spacedcontacts 55 and 56. This mechanism also includes a suitable bed supportcommutator 57 having segments 58 with suitable spaces or gaps 59 betweeneach two adjacent segments. A pair of brushes 60 and 61, mounted in abracket 62 that is secured to the frame in any suitable manner engagethese segments. Also. the control mechanism includes a series of fourbrushes, 63, 64, 65 and 66 mounted in a bracket 67 secured to the frameso that the brushes may cooperate with the periphery of the drum 54 andthe segments 55, 56 thereon. Further, the mechanism includes amaintaining switch mechanism including a coil 68, a plunger or armature69, bridge contact member 70 and four contacts 71. 72. T3 and 74arranged in an upper and a lower pair. A double pole switch structure7.3 leadingfrom lines L1 and L2 is also included.

In operation and assuming that the machine is in a state of rest andprior to use. some of the beds will be in their lowermost position inalignment with several heads, the

main line switch 75 will be'in open position and the control switches 49and 51 will be in otlposition. with the two contacts 60 and 61 oppositea gap in the commutator 57 carried by the bed support and the segmentalcontact 56 on the drum 54 will be in substantially the position shown inFig. 5. Then, the first lay being made, the bed moving motor 40 and thecylinder moving motor 50 are made ready for operation by adjusting thearms of the speed regulators 49 and 51 to selected position so that themachine will be driven at a predetermined speed and the double poleswitch 75 is closed.

The pilot motor 50 which begins to operate prior to the time of startingof the bed moving motor 40 turns the drum 54 in the direction indicatedby the arrow and the contact 56 which is just long enough to engage thecontacts and 66 will be brought into engagement therewith closing themaintain ing circuit through the coil 68 of the main taining switch. thecircuit at this time being from L2 through a main line 76. line 77, coil68. line 78. contact 65. segment 56. contact 66. line 79 to line 80 andL1. The pilot motor 50 is in a separate line including 81 and 82 leadingto the main circuit wires 76 and 80 and thence to L1 and L2 and includesthe speed regulator 51 as shown.

The effect of this circuit through the maintaining switch is to elevatethe bridge contacting member into contact with the contacts 73 and 74which establishes the following circuit: From L1 through main line 80.line 83. contact 73. bridge arm 70. contact 74 and line 84 to the speedregulator 49. From the other side of the speed regulator 49 to line85.n1otor 40, through line 86 to the brake coil 48. to release thebrake. through line 87 to the main line 76 and L2. Inasmuch as thesegmental contact'56 is of slight circumferential extent, other meansare provided for maintaining the circuit to the motor closed until theabeds havc been shifted from the lav'stations to registry under theheads. This is accomplished by means of contacts 60 and 61 which uponthe rotation of the commutator 57 by the motor 40 engage one of thesegments of this cbmniutator and csta n lish a new maintaining circuitas follows:

From the main line 80 and L1 through line 79 to a branch line 88 tocontact 61 across one of the segments 58 to contact 60 through line 89to line 78. thence through coil 68 through line 77 to 76 and L2. Thiscircuit. therefore. operates to maintain the switch bridge member 70 inposition and continues the operation of the motor 40. 'hen the bedsreach registry position the contacts (it) and 61 ride oft the segmentand into a gap 59 which results in the breaking ot the maintainingcircuit just des ribed and sin e the contacts 65 and 66 are now awayfrom the coin tact segment 56 thcrc is no maintaining circuit for thisswitch and the bridge member 70 dro s into engagement with the contacts71 and i2. Some of the beds being in registry with the heads it is nowin order to bring about the pressing operation and this is accomplishedby the pilot drum 54 which has at this time brought segment intoengagement with the contacts 63 and 64. The effect of this operation isto create the following circuit: From 76 and L2 through the line 77 tocontact 72 thence to contact 71 through line 90 to the solenoid 29 foractuating the inlet and exhaust valves from this solenoid through line91 to contact 63 across the segment 55 to contact 6i connected by a line92 to 79 and thence to 80.and L1. This circuit just completed causes thesolenoid to open the inlet to the several power cylinders, close theirexhausts and bring about the pressing operation. This operation iscontinued until the conti ct segment 55 moves out from under thecontacts 63 and 64; when the solenoid circuit is opened and the spring30 returns the valves to their normal position, to wit, one where thesupply is closed and the exhaust is open. \Vhen this occurs the bedsreturn to their normal lower position and the machine is ready foranother cycle.

Vith the above construction, it will be seen that I have provided anautomatic operating mechanism, an automatic control mechanism for apressing and ironing machine of the continuous type of such nature thatafter the double pole switch is closed, the operator or operators arerelieved of all responsibility except that of making the proper lays onthe exposed beds, the operating and control mechanism being such thatthe pressing beds will be automatically and intermittently moved step bystep into and out of registry with a pressing head and'into and out ofan exposed position together with automatic operating and controlmechanism which will bring the pressing heads and pressing beds that arein registry into engagement.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a pressing machine, a number of spaced heads arranged in a path, aplurality of uniformly spaced beds in said path, there being more thantwice as many beds as heads and the heads except at one portion of thepath being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between a bedand the next bed save one, means for moving the group of beds step bystep for effecting registration of suc-- cessive beds with a head, meansfor effecting pressing engagement between the heads and those of thebeds in registration therewith, and means for timing the step byistepmovement of said beds. T" V 2. In a pressing machine. a number of spacedheads arranged in an endless path, a plurality of uniformly spaced bedsin said path, there being more than twice as many beds as heads and thebeads except at one ortion of the path being spaced apart a distanceequal to the spacing between alternate beds, means for moving the groupof beds step by step for effecting registration of successive beds witha head, means for effecting pressing engagement between '-=-the headsand those of the beds in registration with'said heads, and means fortiming the step by step movement of said beds and the pressingoperation.

' 3. In a pressing machine, a number of s aced heads arranged in a path,a gang of sgaced beds in said path and a movable support therefor, meansfor moving the support and its gang of beds step by step for effectingregistration of successive beds with a head, including a motor meanshaving an operative connection with said bed support, braking meanseffective to stop movement of said support, and means for controllingthe motor means and intermittently releasing and applying said brakingmeans to rotate said bed support and move said beds or-stop rotationthereof and maintain it stationary.

4. In a pressing machine, a number of spaced heads arranged in a path, agang of spaced beds in said path and a movable support therefor, meansfor moving the support and its gang of beds step by step for effectingregistration of successive beds with a head, including a motor meanshaving an operative connection with said bed support, braking meanseffective to stop movement of said support, means for controlling themotor means andintermittently releasing and applying said braking meansto rotate said bed support and move said beds or stop rotation thereofand maintain it stationary, and means for effecting pressing engagementof the registering heads and beds.

5. In a pressing machine, a number of spaced heads arranged in a path, agang of spaced beds in said path and a movable support therefor, therebeing more than twice as many beds as heads and the heads except at oneportion of the path being spaced apart with the distance between thecenters of the heads substantially equal to the distance from the centreof one bed to the center of the next bed save one, means for moving thesupport and its gang of beds step by step for effecting registration ofsuccessive beds with a head, including a motor means having an operativeconnection with said bed support, braking means for maintaining saidsupport stationary, and means for controlling the operation of saidmotor means and for intermittently releasing and applying said brak atone ortion of the path being spaced apart with t 0 distance between thecenters of the heads substantially equal to the distance from the centerof one bed to the center of the next bed save one,. means for moving thesupport and its gang of beds step by step for effecting registration ofsuccessive beds with a head, including a motor means having an operativeconnection with said bed support, braking means for maintaining saidsupport stationary, means for controlling the operation of said motormeans and for intermitt'ently releasing and applying said braking meansto rotate said bed support and move said beds or maintain it stationary,and means for effecting pressing engagement of the heads and beds inregistration therewith.

7. In a pressing machine, a number of spaced heads arranged in a path, agang of port therefor there being more than twice as many beds as headsand the heads except at one portion of the path being spaced apart withthe distance between the centers of the heads substantially equal to thedistance from the center of one bed to the center of the next bed saveone, means for moving the support and its gang of beds step by step foreffecting registration of successive beds with a head, means for movingeach bed u Wardly from the support when the bed is in registry with ahead to effect pressing engagement therebetween, and means for timingthe step by step movement of said beds.

8. In a ressing machine, a number of spaced head; arranged in a path, aang of spaced beds in said path and a movable support therefor therebeing more than twice as many beds as heads and the heads except at oneportion of the path being spaced apart with the distance between thecenters of the heads substantially equal to the distance from the centerof one bed to the center of the next bed save one, means for moving thesupport and its gang of beds step by step for effecting registration ofsuccessive beds with a head, means for moving each bed, upwardlyfrom thesupport when the bed is, in registry with a head to effect pressingengagement therebetween, means for timing the step by step movement ofsaid beds, and means for timing the movement of said beds into pressingengagement with a head.

9. In a pressing machine, a number of spaced heads arranged in a path, agang of spaced beds in said path and a movable support therefor, meansfor moving the support and its gang of beds step by step for effectingregistration of successive beds with a head, including a motor meansoperatively interconnected with said support, time control mechanismeffective to cause operation of said motor means. a starting motor foractuating said mechanism. motor means effective to cause pressingengagement between the heads and the beds in registration therewith, andtimecontrol means actuated by movement of said bed moving means forcontrolling the operation of said last named motor means.

10. In a pressing machine, a number of spaced heads arranged in a path,a ang of spaced beds in said path and a mova le support therefor,braking means for said support, means for moving the su port and itsgang of beds step by step for e ecting registration of successive bedswith a head, including a motor means operatively interconnected withsaid support, time control mechanism for said motor means and brakingmeans, a starting motor for actuating said mechanism, motor meanseffective to cause pressing engagement between the heads and the beds inregistration therewith, time control means actuated by movement of saidbed moving means-for controlling the operation of said last named motormeans.

In testimony whereof I hereby afii'x my signature.

GEORGE W. JOHNSON.'

